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Shipwreck Cove
Shipwreck Cove is the hidden stronghold of the Pirate King, Kuro Tori, and is located in Yamato. It is a city of thieves, cutthroats and constant uproar, and acts as the new base of the Blue Dragon pirates after their old hideout, Pirate's Cove, was raided in the Battle of Jade Sea. Shipwreck Cove lies somewhere between Western Horde and Eastern Horde territories in Northern Yamato in a secluded location, its risky location at the border of the two hordes' territories allowing the pirates to raid vessels and avoid the wrath of demons from the rival hordes. History Distreyd Era Shipwreck Cove was one of two hideouts for Yamatian pirates in the Third Age, being the northern base while the southern base, Pirate's Cove, was more popular and acted as the main headquarters for the Blue Dragon pirates led by Pirate King Kuro Tori. When Pirate's Cove was destroyed in a battle against the Yamato Empire during the Unification of Yamato which decimated most pirates in the region, the surviving pirates fled to their remaining base, Shipwreck Cove, and hid from Shogun Masamori Hyuga's wrath there. When the Great War between Yamato and the Grand Alliance raged, Kuro Tori and his followers used the opportunity to raid any wayward vessel they came across while strengthening their base and boosting their numbers with outcasts fed up by the Shogun's strict laws. Godslayer Era By the time the Cataclysm hit and demons invaded Yamato, the pirates' noninterference and secretive nature proved to be a wise course of action as most of them managed to avoid being slaughtered by the demon hordes unlike people in the more populated areas of Yamato. Thanks to the Cove's ideal location between the territories of the rival Eastern Horde and Western Horde and being near the dreaded Devilfish Strait which even demons didn't venture into, the pirates could continue their operations in relative peace, picking their targets carefully and avoiding the more powerful demons while focusing on the vessels of the demons' human allies instead. As a result of these raids the pirates did draw the ire of particularly the wealthy Western Horde, but they also became richer. A potentially threatening epidemic appeared in the Cove almost a decade after the Cataclysm but the healers managed to end it before it could turn worse. A brief but brutal battle took place in the Cove in 1017 AE due to actions of the rogue captain Kusotare who was the first captain in a while to openly oppose the rule of the Pirate King, and the battle ended in the death of Kusotare and executions of his rogue crew. Cityscape Entrance A small passage between treacherous reefs leads into a hidden, shark-filled bay inside the caldera, the only way into Shipwreck Cove. It takes skill to navigate through the maze without sinking a ship, so great care is being taken even by experienced Blue Dragon pirates whenever they sail into the caldera. However, some pirates want to upstage one another by attempting to race to the Cove faster than their competitors to prove themselves as sailors, which often leads to catastrophic results and new material from freshly sunken ships to the Cove's pirate dwellings. The end of this dangerous passage into the Cove is often disguised with illusion magic as well as some real boulders which can be moved with bardic songs of power. The Cove Shipwreck Cove is a patchwork city, the second hideout of the Blue Dragons after their other hideout in Southern Yamato was wiped out in a raid by the Yamato Empire and the floods caused by the Cataclysm. It is built on several shipwrecks which have been modified into houses for several pirates who have settled into the caldera. This gives the city a unique look of being both awe-inspiring and ominous as it looks like it's constantly on the verge of falling apart at any moment--a fine symbol of the dangers of a pirate's life. Skull Harbour The South Side is notable for Skull Harbour, which has docks with room for dozens of ships at once. Several shops, taverns, inns and warehouses fill this area, and narrow streets pass between buildings. The taverns are known to compete with one another, more sprouting each week and an equal number dying out whenever their patrons either grow tired of them or slaughter the owners for cheating them of their money. Some taverns and inns also act as brothels at the same time, giving pirates their share of rum, entertaining performances by bards, and women and men to have fun with. Kubikajiri In the very heart of the Cove lies a wreck of a once mighty ship, the Kubikajiri, named after a head-eating ghost from Yamatian folktales. Many rumours surround the wreck; some pirates claim her to be the once crown jewel of Emperor Takeshi Ofuchi's navy, others state that she used to be the flagship of Kuro Tori himself. Whatever the truth behind the wreck is, she has presently been modified to serve as the palace of Kuro Tori, the Pirate King. Her main entrance is decorated with the skulls of Kuro Tori's enemies to further reinforce the head-eater analogy of the legend while also demonstrating rather grimly what happens to those who disrespect or attempt to doublecross him. The palace is decorated with several life-like statues of different races, both men and women, sculpted by the resident artist Mammon to celebrate the reign of the Pirate King. Carpets, ivory, vases, tartars and different weapons and armor fill the hallways too, showcasing the loot from the raids of Kuro Tori and his crew. A wide stairway leads from the main hallway to the upper deck in which lies a redecorated captain's cabin which serves as Kuro Tori's throne room. It is rather modest compared to the pomp in the rest of the makeshift palace but makes up for it by having a hidden trap door on the floor in front of the throne which Kuro Tori can activate with a switch should he want to dispose of someone. The trap door makes the victim fall down into a piranha-filled tank where an agonizing death awaits anyone who has earned the Pirate King's ire. Kuro Tori's guest rooms and his bed chamber lie behind the throne room in a secluded area, and this is where his numerous female companions are other found. Locations *Comely Lass *Corsair's Grin *Kubikajiri *Rising Tide *Skull Harbour Notable captains *Decanus Tafford *Kusotare *Oscar Locke *Susumu Kawamoto *Uminoko Kawamoto See also *Battle of Shipwreck Cove *Blue Dragon *Clergy of Tiamat *Yamato Map (Distreyd Era) Category:Blue Dragon Category:Cities in Yamato Category:Third Age Category:Yamato